Harry Potter and Voldemort's Gift
by EsperJones
Summary: [PreHBP COMPLETE with EPILOGUE] A ritual that went wrong changes the fate of the world and helping the hero become independent. Abrupt change in the middle, to become more serious. Ending is new, OC 1st person perspective.
1. Prologue

** Prologue**

Black. The lack of light, the void that fills all when there is nothing to keep it at bay. Being unable to see, I tried to make sure I was in one piece. Many people do this purely automatically, but their thinking seems to be as follows – "_Two hands, Two feet, one head, No brain_ – I guess I'm still normal this morning." I am different. Everything I do is controlled by me – I will not twitch, I will not breathe, I will not blink unless I am fully in control of my actions. Taking in the environment around myself, I paused to think.

I see nothing, I taste nothing, I smell nothing, and I feel nothing. Listening closely however, I am able to discern the quiet sounds around me. Feared breathing of a crowd. A quiet breathing – of a figure that seems to be extremely self-confident. The slithering coils of a large serpent. The whimpers of another man. All these are sounds I hear, and I seem to be able to process them quite well.

I open my eyes.

All around me, I see a graveyard. In the distance, a manor stands, one that looks as if were exquisite and wealthy at one point in time – now it looks as though it has been decades since somebody lived here. In front of me, there is figure. Around the figure stand many robed and masked men, kneeling at the figures' feet. The figure seems to be looking at me, trying to think about what I am. Looking into the figure's face, I see that it is not truly human anymore. There is a covering of scales, as though he was crossed with a figure, and burning red eyes. He seems like he has not been sleeping lately, but he also looks like the type of monster that needs no sleep.

Seeming to make a decision, He seems to smirk at me. First in a timid approach, then in a full self-satisfied smirk. I immediately assume that he is afraid of me – why else would he not have done anything by now. I attempt to speak, being surprised that I am able to do so.

"Who am I?" I ask, not knowing the answer to the question myself.

"You are a demon. You have been summoned to do my bidding, and you are forced to obey me," the figure stated.

"If I am a demon, why would I obey you? What is stopping me from just eliminating you? You are, or were, a human – humans are weaker than demons – it has been proven before."

To prove my point, I will one of his subjects to drop over dead. As I hear his scream, I see the rest of the servants step back in fear.

"But… But I summoned you, you are unable to hurt me! I am Lord Voldemort, I cannot make mistakes like that!"

"You are correct in general, but flawed in the details. You did not summon me – I was created. I do not know how you managed to do that, but I did not exist prior to this night. However you are right, I cannot hurt you, but there is nothing that says that you can hurt me – or that I can hurt your so called followers."

"But will you do as I ask?" Voldemort stepped back, and tried to grasp control of the situation again.

"What's in it for me?" I asked, already predicting the answer. It turns out that I was right.

"Power – there is no right or wrong, there is only power. Your power stems from the dark, that means that I can provide you power beyond your wildest dreams – if you help me get power for myself as well."

"How will you grant me power if you cannot grasp power yourself? Your name stems from French, the _language of love_, and you still did not learn white magic?"

"True power comes from the dark, I would expect a demon to know that!" Voldemort practically yelled.

"True power, as you know, is what power you may get, not what type it is. There is no good or bad inherent power, but it is how you use it that makes it so. Yet you shun a whole half of the power you can get, just because you were orphaned as a child?"

Convinced he should not lose face before his followers, Voldemort changed the topic to Harry Potter. "Yes, but there is nobody in this world who uses both parts of the magic. Nobody will use both light and dark magic at the same time. Of the two parts, dark is stronger!"

"Harry Potter. He is who you are hunting, is that correct?" At Voldemort's nod, he continued. "Your fascination with him is staggering. He was the one prophesized to destroy you, do you know that? Of course, the prophecy was indeterminate, meaning it may not come to pass, but unless you somehow become more powerful, he still has _a power the dark lord knows not_."

"How can he have a power greater than me? I am the DARK LORD!"

"Well, I guess I can say, thanks for creating me, but I really must go."

With those final words, I closed my eyes disappeared.

* * *

When I next opened my eyes, I was in a quiet community of muggles. The community was named Privet Drive, and I felt a great concentration of power at one of the houses. A bundle of power, guilt, depression, and most of all love was what I felt. I knew I had come to the right place. This must be where Harry Potter, the Dark Lord's so called _nemesis_ lives.

Walking up to the house, I phased through the door and was astounded at what I saw. While a big fat kid – probably the family's son - was displayed predominantly throughout the house, I saw no mention that another boy lived in this house. I can understand that they may not enjoy the contact of a different type of person, but that is no reason to neglect the child… I guess that could explain the feeling of depression, but what type of parental figure would allow a person to live like this? Even the protections I saw on the home would not be worth making a child live in misery.

Walking upstairs, I phased into the child's – no, Harry's – room, and looked at the sleeping form. Taking advantage of my powers, I looked into his past – and what I saw astounded me. Not only did he have a nearly perfect grasp of his light magic – the Patronus – but he also delved into dark magic – the Cruciatus. He felt guilty about the last one, but that is what he should have – if you feel no guilt after casting a dark curse, then you yourself are dark.

As I stopped scanning his memories, I was entirely amazed to find that Harry was awake, and not only that, he had his wand trained directly at me.

"Who are you, and what do you want with me?"


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

_"Who are you, and what do you want with me?"_

As I shook off my surprise, I first felt surprise that Harry was able to sense my presence, and had me trained at wandpoint even before I knew I was being targeted. Then I felt sadness, because his attitude reminded me of the harsh trials he had to face. Finally, I felt pride that he was able to react fast enough, and that he was able to pull one over on me.

"I repeat, who are you and why are you in my home?"

His voice was laced with bitter anger, as though he did not call this a home, but his words were clear. He wanted to know who I was, and why I was standing next to his bed. Before answering, I replied cryptically:

"You place too much trust in your headmaster, Harry."

That should have thrown him off track, but Harry didn't even bat an eye.

"He placed the wards, and I know he has his own plans in mind, but me getting killed by Voldemort will help him none. He firmly believes in the prophecy, and he believes the good of the majority outweighs the good of the individual."

Suddenly looking horrified, Harry realized he was not supposed to mention the prophecy. I chuckled at it, and then clarified.

"I know the prophecy. Do not be concerned about that. I also know about your attempt at the Cruciatus, but it is good that you feel the guilt. If you did not feel guilt, you would be no better off than Voldemort. Unlike Dumbledore, I believe that casting a dark spell does not make you dark, but that you cannot live without a balance. One thing I wanted to ask: you seem to have taken the death of your godfather well."

A brief flash of pain passed Harry's features, but I am sure that he is not grieving as much as he was over Cedric.

"My godfather left me a letter, explaining his actions. He knew that he was of no use to me, or to himself just sitting locked up, and he rationalized that he … he would be with his parents, as he should be. I know that if I should blame someone, I have to blame Voldemort … or Dumbledore."

By the end of that line, I could see that Harry was nearly in tears, so I did not press the issue further. I knew I had to tell him who I was, but I tried to avoid the questions that would come out of it.

"I'll try to answer your questions Harry, but I know you may not like my answers. I will try not to hide anything from you, but there are some things I do not know. Just know this – I do not serve Voldemort, Fudge, or Dumbledore, so do not be afraid that I will pass answers to them. I want to help you, and I know most of what you know, but all I ask is that you trust me."

Harry thought over the proposition, and then nodded.

"Before I let you ask questions, I want you to tell me how you thought I could be trusted. If I am to take you as a student –" Here I was met with a shocked gaze, but then the shock was replaced with eagerness. "If I am to take you as a student, I want to know whether you can think. Waving a stick and saying words is one thing, but you need to think on your feet to be able to survive."

Harry thought it over, then said his conclusions.

"Well, I know that Dumbledore would not have set the wards to allow a Voldemort supporter in. That eliminates the Dark side. I know Fudge does not know about the prophecy, so that eliminates the Ministry. And Dumbledore… Dumbledore would not believe that casting a dark spell – in any circumstance – would be a good idea. He would try to argue with me, and any of his supporters would be afraid that I was going dark."

"Good answer Harry, it shows that you do know how to think. And good job grouping Dumbledore against you as well. You want to learn to live life, and there is no reason to live life in a gilded cage." Looking around, I added "or just a cage in your case."

Harry then thought about what he should ask. I know he had many questions to ask, but I wanted to see whether he would ask the right one.

"What … are you?" was his first question. Technically correct, but not really useful. I told him as such.

"That is a correct question, but it isn't pertinent to the discussion. I will tell you anyway, but you have to learn to control your curiosity…

I was originally supposed to be a Demon. Voldemort's summoning ritual was supposed to bring a demon from the depths of hell to serve him. Obviously, that didn't happen, or the world would be in ruins by now. But, when I found myself standing before him, I felt no pull to obey him – I cannot harm him, but I do not have to obey his will. I have no memory of the time before the ritual – either I was created or my memory was wiped. But know this – I will NOT serve Voldemort, and I will not serve ANYONE. I am my own being, and I am in control of my own life."

Finishing my monologue, I noticed that Harry was crouched in the corner of the room, stuttering to finish a sentence. As I looked around, I noticed red flames circling around me.

"A… a demon? From… Voldemort?"

Sometimes Harry's reactions were so delayed, I knew I would have some trouble with the boy.

"Yes, a demon, Yes, from Voldemort, but NO, I am NOT on his side. Got it?" I asked, being a bit stern. He seemed to snap back into his normal state, because he let off a sarcastic "Sir, Yes sir, Mr. Demon sir!" before collapsing on the bed.

As I willed him to awaken, I made a mental note – teach the boy mind techniques. Although his connection to the scale-face was ripped apart as soon as I saw it – it was draining his power and blocking half his abilities – he was still vulnerable to attacks from within – take Dumbledore and his twinkling for example…

Waking up, Harry sat up on his bed, stood up, then saw me, and sat directly back onto the bed. I sighed – it would take a lot to help Harry get over his stereotypes of Demons. Although he was not very religious (Getting sprayed with holy water was not very appealing to me), he still had a wizard's belief that a demon was bad. He wasn't as bad as his friend Ron, who would probably chase me out with a cross, or faint, in either order, but he still had the prejudices of wizard kind.

"Now that I'm sort of used to the idea of a demon, created by Voldemort, sitting in my room chatting with me, I have just one more thing to ask you. What, and when, can you teach me?"

Now that's more like it! It seems that Harry likes the direct approach, so I will take that to him as well.

"You will be learning many things from me, and I will shadow you everywhere. It is the summer, and you can't do magic with a wand – both the Ministry and Dumbledore track your spells. I will teach you how to use Wandless Magic, but I can't expect you to protect yourself with it immediately. Don't worry, I'll remain invisible, and I can read your mind. If you want something done until you can do it yourself, I will try to do it for you."

"That seems great, but what do we start with? I'm stuck in this room, and I don't even have chores to do, thanks to the order."

"First we have to teach you mind protection. You can't have Dumbledore checking in on you and knowing about me, can you?"

"But Snape tried to …"

"What Snape did was to torture your mind to make it easier to get in. He was not teaching, and he may have weakened your resolve against old Voldy there. What I am teaching you is the demon's equivalent."

Harry was seething at the idea that Snape was responsible for Sirius' death, but quickly schooled his expressions into a mask of indifference, and was awaiting instruction.

"What demons do when they want to protect their mind is to group their mind into layers. The outer layer is what your mind is like now – easily accessible, and extremely easy to read. However, they also have a hard inner layer, unlike most humans. Their inner layer is the memories they want to hide. Unlike Occlumency, that is all there is to it. You do not have to 'Clear your mind,' and you do not need to keep your shield up.

In order to make your own inner layer, you must first choose an emotion. If anyone has that emotion while trying to scan your thoughts, they will be repelled instantly."

"So something like guilt would keep Dumbledore away from my inner thoughts?" Harry asked, liking his new teacher more than he could ever like Snape.

"Yes, but you should choose more than one – what are the odds that Voldemort would feel guilty about scanning your mind?"

"How about guilt, malevolence, and avarice?" Harry suggested.

"Those three should cover it. Now, once you thought of the emotions, think of the prime examples to feel those emotions. Imagine their faces, imagine their frustration when they can't read your mind. Now focus on that, and think of a memory – any memory you want to protect. Once you do that, that memory cannot be accessed by anyone feeling those emotions."

Harry then proceeded to lay down on his bed, sorting through his memories. I was confident that he would be able to handle it – he has done worse before. My suspicions were proved correct, when he looked up and said "I'm done."

I was speechless – for a human to have finished sorting their mind so fast? Nevertheless, I congratulated him and told him to go to sleep – assuring him that his relatives would not see me.

"I have one last question – what is your name?"

I answered simply "You may call me Niamp."

After hearing my words, he promptly fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

I was sitting next to Harry as he slowly woke up. His breathing was even, but I felt that he just had another nightmare. His conscious mind may understand his Godfather's passing, but unconsciously, he still believes himself guilty for it. Poor boy, nobody should have so many struggles so early in life.

Just to show how inconspicuous I could be, I turned into a cross between my form and a phoenix. Black feathers, with red and orange wings. My eyes are still red, but I cannot talk in this form.

As Harry woke up completely, I tried talking to him telepathically.

**"Good Morning."**

"What... where are the voices coming from?" Harry said aloud.

"**I cannot talk in this form. However, if you just think a response to me, I will hear it. This is still Niamp, and I will still train you.**"

"**So he can read my mind? I'll have to watch out if this is true – I can't have him interfering in my life, such as my seeming crush on -"**

Some human habits are really absurd. Why repeat something when you already know it is true? However, I tried to cut him off right there: **"Yes, I can. But I will not interfere in your life, and you should trust me. Do you still want to train with me?**" I already knew the answer of course, but I wanted to make him get to the task himself.

"**Yes, of course!"**

My phoenix form smirked - "**Good. Now your first exercise will be to run a mile around the block."**

"WHAT!" Harry forgot himself, and yelled aloud. I'm sure he, as a normal teenager, expected to easily get control of magic. He thought that since I was a demon, I can just instill the knowledge in his mind.

"**Be quiet! I can teach you, but I cannot make you learn this all without work. The running is physical conditioning. How can you dodge a spell if you get tired after running a couple meters?** **I will be following you."**

Harry, deciding it best not to argue with me, put on his trainers and went quietly downstairs. Sneaking through the front door, he jogged in the direction of Magnolia Crescent. My intention was to test his mind abilities – as I knew that someone would come up to him – he wasn't supposed to leave the house. Making myself invisible, I followed Harry.

* * *

As Harry finished his laps around the block, I was getting interested. So far, nobody interfered in his exercise, but he can't be that shoddily protected, could he? Dumbledore may not take into account Harry's feelings, but he should not rely completely on the wards. 

However, my interest was unfounded. Standing by the hedge in Number 4, there stood a figure. The figure was tall, and his facial features were dominated by a crooked nose and oily hair. His eyes were nondescript, and his mouth was curved into a sneer. I recognized him as Harry's potion professor, and my suspicions were confirmed.

"Snape." Harry spat. He obviously did not forgive the man for leading Sirius into his grave.

"Potter." Snape responded in kind. I could remember the man's unfounded hate of Harry from his memories, but seeing it in person astounded me. Meanwhile, Snape continued.

"Are you really that dense Potter? You left the house without supervision, and you run around a muggle block, with no protections around you? You're just as arrogant as your father if you believe that you can take on the Dark Lord by yourself!"

"**Watch it, he is trying to bait you. Focus your mental shields, and see if you can irritate him further."**I suggested that to try to get Harry to get his mind off the insults, and to see whether or not he could keep away a master Occlumens. Harry seemed to take my words to heart, because he smirked and responded to the jibe.

"Wasn't the precious order supposed to be guarding me? I am supposed to be a weapon after all. And good will always triumph over evil – didn't your father read you fairy tales as a kid? Oh wait, your father was a death eater – like yourself, so get off my porch, will you?"

Damn, I underestimated Harry. His response was completely true, struck at Snape's weak points – judging by the reaction – and didn't resolve to personal cursing. I think I'll really enjoy teaching him.

By the end of Harry's taunt, Snape was seething. He was turning red, and was exercising all his self-control to not kill Harry right there and there. I was interrupted of my thoughts when Snape took out his wand and yelled out a curse.

_"Legillimens!"_

When the light hit Harry, his posture did not change at all – he was entirely unaffected by the spell. I severely underestimated the kid. His mental shields were extremely strong, and even after only one night of supporting them. He must have used an extreme emotion as the basis for the defense, because a few seconds after the spell struck, Snape collapsed. Harry surprised me even more, by knowing Dumbledore's reason to send Snape to his house.

"You were supposed to teach me Occlumency – you failed. I don't know why Dumbledore insists on sending you back, but I found another teacher. You are useless death eater scum, and I don't want you in my house, now leave!"

There was a slight pop as Snape managed to disapparate, but Harry seemed to be back to normal by then. He smirked, still in his taunting state, and asked me "**Would you wish to help me antagonize my ... relatives?"**

So he did inherit his father's pranking abilities after all, I mused. I was eager to see what he would come up with, and as I heard, I roared with laughter. This was a harmless prank, which would probably send the Dursleys immediately to church.

* * *

As we entered the house, we encountered Harry's uncle, Vernon. Harry smirked at him, and pushed past to enter the dining room, where Petunia and Dudley were already sitting and eating breakfast. 

"Boy – I will not tolerate that kind of disrespect!"

That was my cue. We planned out the prank extensively, and the whole thing would place the fear of Harry directly into their hearts.

I turned back into my human-like form, added demon horns and wings, and my costume of a muggles understanding of a demon was complete. I kept myself invisible, then phased into the floor.

Harry then started the performance. "Disrespect? What kind of respect do you expect to get, not feeding me, giving me cast-off clothes, and sticking me in a cupboard for the first 10 years of my life here?"

His uncle didn't get the message. Advancing menacingly, his face turning purple, he tried to grab Harry to teach him a lesson.

I then started my special effects. A bit of fire there, and slowly phasing out of the floor and becoming visible here, makes a fake demon summon. I then stood my whole height, and trying to make my voice deeper, spread my wings, and said:

"**YOU WILL NOT HARM HARRY."**

Vernon's face was extremely amusing to see. His face was turning between purple and pale white, and he seemed ready to have a heart attack. Petunia and Dudley were both flattened against the far wall, muttering phrases like "demons, demons..." and "we knew that boy was evil."

I then started giving my demands, seeing Harry almost ready to snicker.

"**YOU WILL GIVE HARRY GOOD FOOD, AND YOU WILL BE HAPPY THAT I DO NOT KILL YOU RIGHT HERE AND NOW. HE MAY LEAVE WHENEVER HE WANTS, AND HE WILL COME BACK WHENEVER AS WELL. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?**"

Vernon muttered a quiet "Yes," so I decided to cut the act. I folded my wings in, removed my horns, and turned back into my true human form. I then continued in my normal voice.

"Remember what I am when you see Harry. I will be living along him, but you may not always see me – I am always watching."

Harry then burst out laughing – his relatives were too scared to notice, but I found it funny as well. We hastily made our way back to Harry's room, where we both collapsed in laughter.

* * *

Harry then asked me what was next on the agenda. I was already satisfied with his ability to block his mind, so I suggested a shopping trip. 

"Can we go to Diagon Alley?" Harry pleaded.

"Yes, but we need to stop by at other places too – we need to get you a way to get money fast, and some decent clothes. Remember, Dumbledore may be ruthless in trying to take control over your life. We may have to ask the ministry to grant you a dispensation for your age. Remember, it is no good to fight a war on two fronts – if you can use Fudge while he is in office, you can stab him in the back later. That is called politics – he would not think twice about doing it to you – in fact, he already has, in the past year."

"I understand, I think... How will we get to the bank then?"

"We may have to give you independence in the muggle world at first. While your relatives are still scared of me, I can get their signatures on a custody release form."

I then phased over to the nearest political center, and grabbed a copy of the form. Filling it out, I phased back to the house, and got both Vernon and Petunia to sign it. I knew that they may regret it later, but I consider that fair payment.

Giving the completed form to Harry, and seeing his astonished expression, I couldn't help but smile, satisfied in myself.

I then suggested we go to a muggle bank. Although he is emancipated in the Muggle world, the ministry may not agree to emancipate him, so Dumbledore would have control of anything that Harry does. Relaying my ideas, I was surprised to see Harry agreed. When asking him about it, he replied: "Anything to be free to live my own life." I almost teared at that – how long can one live as a puppet?

* * *

Entering the First Bank of Her Majesty, Harry requested to see a manager. We decided that I would remain hidden, offering advice through our mental messages. I saw Harry get taken into a back room, where he was introduced to the Branch manager, named Mr. Freeman. 

"So, Mr. Potter – you are interested in founding an account? Are you 18?"

"I am not 18, but I have my emancipation papers with me. You will find all the signatures on it." Harry responded, handing the stack of papers to Freeman.

"Yes? And what would a ... 15 year old want with their own _empty_ bank account?"

"I have money which I will transfer into this account. What I will use it for is of no relation, although it would be primarily a checking account. I will also need a check card, so I can take amounts of money in as necessary."

At the mention of money, Freeman's eyes lit up - "How much money? I will be prepared to offer you a free account at competitive interest rates if you say, start off with a ... 1,000,000 Pound deposit."

Obviously, Freeman didn't expect Harry to have that much money. I knew differently, so it came as no surprise to me when Harry accepted.

"All right, I have the money, but I need my new bank account number to transfer the funds. Will that be all right?"

Freeman looked shocked – here was a kid who was not even 16, and he had a million pounds readily available?

I could hear Harry quietly send me a message "**At least Sirius' will is good for something."**

Shaking himself out of the shock, Freeman gave Harry his new account number, and quickly got a new Check Card made for him. Thanking Freeman, and being happy that the process only took a half an hour, Harry left the bank, with his new muggle id sitting comfortably in his pocket.

Walking into the nearest Fish and Chips restaurant, Harry tested out his new card. Ordering a simple meal for both him and myself, I asked Harry what he thought of his freedom.

"It's ... exhilarating. I now know that I have a bargaining chip over Dumbledore, and I can threaten to leave the wizarding world whenever I wish. I really think that I can survive on my own now. We still have to resolve the deal with the goblins, but I can play on their greed."

"That is a good summary. Your freedom is at hand, and if you convince the ministry, you will be a fully fledged adult in both worlds."

"Yes, that will be something to look forward to."

I smirked as I saw who entered the restaurant, and when Harry looked at me, wondering what happened, I just smiled.

Harry was thrown off guard completely when a bushy-haired girl tackled him from behind.

* * *

A/N: The chapters should get longer – I'm enjoying writing this story, but the updates probably will slow down – don't expect daily multiple chapters:-p This story will be H/G eventually, and I hope the beginning is interesting enough to draw people in. If you are here, it probably is! 

Please review if you haven't already, because I want to know what people think of my story and how I can improve.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Looking at the embarrassed teenager in front of me, I thought about the things that made Harry's life what they are. His worst experiences in life seemed to be pronounced – killing a basilisk, rescuing a criminal, getting into a life-or-death duel with Voldemort himself, and living through it gave him a thorough understanding of life. However, his home life prevented him from getting the love he needed as a child – as a result, he seems to withdraw into himself often.

"Hey Hermione, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here with my parents, but what are you doing here? I thought Dumbledore said that you need to stay at your house, for your protection. You didn't sneak out, did you?"

Harry seemed to pick up what she meant in her words – that if he defies Dumbledore, she would not hesitate to turn him in. His expression soured, but he responded as if he didn't notice anything.

"I got permission… from my legal guardians… to go take care of some business." Harry evaded.

I'm proud of his way to answer a question without lying – but managing to mislead the other person anyway. He made it seem as if the Dursleys gave him permission to go out. In a roundabout way, that's true, but he is in charge of his own life now. Unfortunately, Hermione, being the most intelligent witch of her year, picked up on the twisted logic.

"But I thought the Dursleys hated you? Why would they give permission for you to leave?"

"They were scared – remember the Order warnings? – they also think that if I leave the house, I can get run over by a car or something."

Harry seemed to be tiring of this conversation – the fact that one of his friends, the more logical one, would think that being locked up and safe is better than taking a slight risk, even after seeing what happened to Sirius, stunned him.

"But still Harry, it's unsafe, with You-Know-Who out there…"

"Can't you see? If I don't train, I can't defeat him. I was out here after trying to run – I need to get into better shape."

"What makes you think it will be you who defeats him? Are you really as arrogant as Snape says?"

Looking at Harry, it was obvious her words hurt him. His memory of his father from the Pensieve surfaced. Quickly making up an explanation, he turned around and left.

"Dumbledore hinted at it – I don't know why he thinks so, you can ask him – but I have to go, my Aunt wants me home by 5."

I stayed back for a few moments, and saw Hermione try to explain to her parents that Harry was _not_ her boyfriend, and that she was actually angry at him at the moment. I chuckled, then followed Harry out of the restaurant.

I saw how this shock affected Harry. His best friend, someone he knew from his first year, didn't believe he was experienced enough to be out on his own. He immediately classed her as being a Dumbledore supporter, then wondered – when did he start thinking of Duimbledore as against him?

I caught his train of thinking, and answered: "**Anyone who does not let you live in peace and how you wish to live is an enemy at some point – It is a fact of life.**"

He smiled a bitter smile, then asked "**Where next?"**

Pointing to the nearby clothing store, I smiled at his groan. Apparently he hated clothes shopping, but he can't look like this and expect to be respected. His clothes were too big for him, and they looked like they were years old.

Walking into the store, Harry was immediately approached by an attractive young salesgirl. She introduced herself as Jamie, and said that the clothes Harry was wearing did not suit his physique at all. I laughed at that, only Harry hearing me of course, but those clothes would not fit the physique of a whale, much less a human.

Falling back into his usual shy state, Harry could barely answer the questions Jamie was throwing at him. Questions such as his age, where he goes to school, what are his favorite sports, received short, curt responses, but when asked for his phone number, he blushed and said that he didn't have one yet, but that he was getting one today. When Jamie slipped a slip of paper in his pocket, he blushed even more, but thanked her and said he'd call her later today with his number.

After finding all the clothes he needed, Harry paid for the purchases and asked me what to do with them. I quickly transported the clothes back to his house, leaving him a pair to wear out of the store. Quickly changing, Harry asked me where next.

As if I was a girl directing his movements, I quickly dragged him to the Mobile Phone store a few blocks away. Of course, dragging him was near impossible – as I did not have hands at the time, but the theory was the same.

Harry enjoyed getting his Cell phone, and after I placed an anti-magic field on it, immediately called Jamie to tell her his number. He seemed a bit more outgoing than he used to be, but I suppose that being on your own would do that. Naturally, I teased him about Jamie, but he didn't respond to my jibes and said:

"She's not really my type, but any friend I can have that doesn't betray me is a good friend."

I nodded, realizing his situation. He was still feeling hurt about Hermione, and he needed company. I said "**Well, enough with the fun stuff – we have to get to business.**"

Getting a grasp on his shoulder, I phased him to the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron. Because it was close to the building, the passing muggles did not notice us appear directly in front of the pub.

Hiding us both, I told Harry to hurry up and get through the barrier separating the two worlds – goblins are not the nicest creatures, and we want to finish our business with them early.

* * *

Entering Gringotts, Harry headed immediately to the counter. When faced with a familiar goblin, he told him– "I am Harry Potter and I have some business for your manager." 

The goblin raised his eyes, but complied with the request. He went over to the fireplace nearby, stuck his head in, and a few minutes later he looked out and said:

"The manager will see you. You will need to follow this hallway until the end."

At his words, a door opened up. Harry walked into the door, and followed the hallway. Coming into the conference room, he saw a big desk, with a nametag on it. The nametag simply read – _"Ragnok."_

I whistled quietly to myself – **"Harry – This is the president of all the goblins, for Merlin's sake, DON'T BLOW IT!"**

Harry gulped, but before he could introduce himself, Ragnok spoke.

"Ah, Harry Potter. You are the owner of the second-largest pureblood account, the Blacks. What can I do for you?"

I tried to coach him, but it turns out it wasn't needed – this boy was a natural leader, he inspired others to follow him.

"I have a few requests, and in return, I may provide your race with the freedom it desires, the money it craves, and the recognition it deserves. Goblins are vastly underrated, that even Voldemort does not talk to you, except for banking. However, I know that your race are master warriors, and if you assemble as a force, your might is incredible."

I nearly fell over at those words – my student sure knows how to speak!

"Yes, flattery and an appeal to our wants – you will be a great leader someday. May I ask why Dumbledore sent you?"

"Dumbledore did NOT send me. I am here of my own free will, and he doesn't know I am here. I trust him no more than I trust Fudge – after all he has said he has done for me, and after telling me how much he believes in me, he still tries to deny me independence!"

Listening to Harry, I saw how he was thinking. Rally the goblins, but don't be a part of the groups that wronged them before – if they can be spurred into revolt against the Ministry, Harry has a sizeable force on his hands.

"Hmm – so for whom are you working? If you are for the dark, know that we are neutral."

"I am my own side. I know that Fudge is an idiot – if I may get him on my side, it would be an asset, but only for getting laws passed. Voldemort is obviously evil, but is also insane. He would not make a good leader. Dumbledore has the quality that makes people follow him, but he has no concern for anyone's life – years of fighting made him that way. I am my own side – I have no reason to ally with anyone."

"But you are just a child – you are not even legally an adult."

I thought for a second – that was a low blow. But Harry knows how to recover from that.

"I am no longer legally a child. In the muggle world, there is something called release of custody. I am emancipated, and if I get Fudge to my side, I will also have those rights in the Wizarding world. Either way, I have a bargaining chip against Dumbledore."

He seems to be playing against Dumbledore in this – but at least he is being honest.

"You convinced me of your intentions, Mr. Potter, but what would your requests be? As you said, the goblins are vastly underrated, and nobody thinks to ally with us – what do you want, and what can you offer for it?"

I know how much he does not like using his celebrity status for gain, but he will have to. Unfortunately, that is the only thing he can offer.

"I can offer a few things. First, if I defeat Voldemort, I will have vast public standing. I can use that standing to support the goblins, and get the equality laws you are wishing for. I am willing to swear a Wizard's oath in order to prove it. Second, I have an idea you can use to get more money off of your customers."

He didn't! My student actually offered a new way for goblins to make money? If he pulls it off, he will have lifelong supporters!

"Interesting. Let me listen to your requests, and then I will decide."

"My first request may seem selfish, but it is necessary for me to be able to promote my ideas. I would like to request access to my family vaults, and to also prevent Dumbledore from accessing any of the vaults belonging to me."

I thought that that seemed logical, but maybe not the best thing to start with.

"That can be done even without speaking to me, and it shall be done. What else did you want to ask?"

"My second request is tied together with the way to make money I promised you. Would you like to hear it?"

"That is interesting, many wizards have come up with requests, but none of them promised money to us."

"The premise is simple – develop cards that allow easy transfer of gold between vaults – make it so that a wizard can just tap the card, and say the number of gold, and it would transfer. It is used in the muggle world to great success."

"And of course, there would be a fee for transferring," Ragnok grinned, showing his pointy teeth. "I like it, and I see no reason why this can not be done. I assume you want one of those cards for yourself?"

"Yes, and I want it by the end of this conversation, if possible."

Ragnok turned around, yelled a few words in Gobledegook, and turned back.

"It will be done."

"My last request will seem the most controversial. I would like to garner the support of the goblins against Voldemort. If many people help the light, we can win the war with less casualty."

I held my breath. If Harry succeeds in this, he can use the ministry against Voldemort, and get himself a good position. Ragnok appeared to be thinking it over, but then seemed to come to a conclusion.

"We will not rally behind the light, but we will rally behind you. You are a much more spirited leader than Dumbledore, and you have more to offer us. I will take your wizard's oath to help the goblins, and I in return will swear an oath to you to follow us.

As they said the words of the oath, their palms grew blue. When they shook hands, the two blue glows combined, flashed, then a blue symbol glowed on the back of each hand.

Ragnok seemed to take something out of his desk, then handed it to Harry.

"This is the mark of your financial independence, Harry. Treasure it."

Harry was now the owner of a new card, similar to his muggle one, but one that gave him limitless control over a big chunk of the wizarding world's economy.

I smiled as Harry walked out of Gringotts, happy that my Student was able to rally the support of the goblins – they will be happy to help someone who fights for their rights, and their control of the banks will make a good strength against both the Ministry and Dumbledore.

* * *

A/N: The reviews I got were astounding – in two days, getting put on a few favorite lists and over 6 reviews? My original story didn't get nearly as much, and it's been up for a month and has over 10,000 words! 

_Review Responses:_

Gred: What does it say in the summary? ;-)

Wavefunction: Unlike most independent!Harry stories, this one will probably not just span the summer – I expect to get to school pretty quickly. I actually know how I'm going to handle Dumbledore for the first part of the story – it should be pretty funny if I pull it off right. He will not accept Harry's emancipation, I will tell you that.

Pazed: I'm going off the American credit theory – basically, if you are of age, you can get a credit account easily – and borrow up to a certain amount. Harry just promised the manager a million pounds – think of the commission. And the backstory for Niamp is basically a question with no answer – why were any of us created? I will give hints however.

Silver8036: Yes, as you can see, he can phase with Harry. However, those powers are limited when carrying someone. If Harry was in battle, he could not be phased, and even if he could, would Harry really abandon his friends for safety?Niamp does not need a disguise - he can make himself invisible at will. His phoenix form isnt really a phoenix - its just a dark bird that resembles a phoenix. He doesn't sing. Be thankful for that ;-)

Santa Claws: No H/Hr - basically, this chapter already kills that idea, don't you think? I have an explanation for Hermione acting like this, but she is not possessed, and she is not under anyone's control - she is acting like this of her own free will. And although you may not like the SHIP I chose, I'm not a romance writer - I may use Ginny as a strong second lead, but this is not from Harry's perspective - it will probably gloss over most of the relationships.


	5. Chapter 4

A/N: I **DID** say sporadically updated, didn't I? Well, on with the chapter.

* * *

**Chapter 4**

Firmly grasped in his concept of independence, Harry was exalted at finally having legal leverage over Dumbledore. A person of age does not have to be forced under someone's discretion – one can choose their own school, their work, or their place of residence.

I let Harry have his moment. He has had precious few victories in his life before. Everything he has accomplished up to now was orchestrated by someone. The sorcerer's stone was a ploy from Dumbledore to align Harry firmly against the dark. The basilisk was a way for Harry to believe he is Gryffindor's Heir. Sirius' escape was a bittersweet one – he didn't even achieve his freedom before he was killed. The tournament ended in a student death weighing heavily on Harry's conscience.

Noticing that Harry was ready to fall asleep, I led him to the Leaky Cauldron for a room. Thankfully, nobody recognized him. As he slept, I decided to read up on the past of Voldemort. I saw many similarities between what I remembered and what was written, but there were some differences, so I memorized the differences, and filed them away later.

* * *

Harry woke up slowly after dawn, and after a quick breakfast, I decided to get Harry thinking on the right track, so I asked him about his future plans. 

"You know, now that you are independent, you can have control of where you live, where you go to school… If you choose, you no longer have to live at Privet Drive. You can find your own place to live. The blood wards were real, but Dumbledore believes that you do not know that Voldemort's ritual caused you to share his blood – He believes the blood wards are completely useless now, and so does Voldemort. Strangely enough, Voldemort knew about the blood wards all along."

Stunned by the flow of information, Harry blinked.

"Has anyone ever told you that you talk too fast?"

"Well, considering the only people I talked to were the Death Eaters and yourself, you would be the first." I allowed myself to smirk.

Deciding to return to the matter at hand, Harry thought over what I said.

"So we can have a new house, and place new blood wards on it? Would that work?"

I thought it over – sure it would work in theory, but what would be enough to fool Voldemort and Dumbledore at the same time? _Fidelius_ is too obvious – Voldemort broke it in 1981, and he can do it again. Maybe through different methods, as I am no traitor, but once a spell is defeated once, it becomes easier to break it time and time again. Besides, runic magic has always been one of my weaknesses, and Harry doesn't know enough about it to cast it. _Celo Scelero_ has always been one of my favorites – but would Harry allow a sacrifice to be made? It can be small, but it must be a warm-blooded animal.

"There are a few different variations of spells and rituals that can hide something," I began.

"Like the _fidelius_?" Harry asked.

"Yes, but the _fidelius_ is obsolete now – it was broken once, it can be broken again. What we need is something stronger."

"What if we cast a _fidelius_, and we cast it on an inanimate object, and then destroy it?"

Harry's logic astounds me – he basically came upon the answer, although he seems to be leaving the main part out – the blood ritual.

"That won't work – the _fidelius_ works on the soul of an object – an inanimate object has no soul. However, I know of a ritual – dark magic – that will work instead. It is called the _Celo Scelero_, and it works in a similar way as you described. You must chant the spell over a small animal, and then sacrifice it. The blood of the animal must be spread to the four corners of the area you are protecting, and after that, the secret is sent to the underworld – nobody can ever find it."

As expected, Harry winced at the word sacrifice. But surprising me, he nodded as I finished.

"Yes, I expected as such. Now what we need is to find a house that would work."

I decided to let him go search around for the house, and transformed myself into a phoenix form in order to check on Privet Drive. The order guards are incompetent, but Moody can see through walls, and Lupin can smell people inside. Either one of them can tell if Harry left.

* * *

A quick call to the fire burning inside me, and I traveled to the inside of Harry's house. The first thing I saw there was a long white beard – _Crap_, I thought. Deciding to scare the old man, I turned from my phoenix form to my demon form, drawing the transformation out for a further effect. 

My theatrics had their effect – Dumbledore's eyebrows were both raised in a shocked expression, and he was having the shock of his life. I'm sure I have started a great many legends about phoenixes bound to the dark side.

Muttering a quick tracking spell, I smirked at Dumbledore, looked around, grabbed Harry's photo album, and called upon fire to take me back to Harry.

* * *

When I found Harry, I saw him getting ready to purchase a flat in the muggle side of Diagon Alley. Mentally congratulating him on a smart move, I saw that he had a cage with a small rabbit levitated near him. 

"**You seem prepared today.**" I remarked telepathically.

Smirking towards me, he responded "**I had a feeling I would need to be**."

Towards the sales lady, he said "I'll take it – would it be possible to receive the keys and paperwork now?"

Surprised, the sales lady answered "I have all the paperwork prepared – all you need to do is to sign it."

Signing the paper, Harry received his paperwork and let the woman out the front door. Turning towards me, he asked "So how do we perform the ritual?"

I responded – "I can prepare the ritual in a few seconds – but you must cut it with a jewel-encrusted knife, with your birthstone. I believe it is ruby?" I took an ordinate crafted knife out of my pocket, and gave it to him.

The first thing I heard from Harry shocked me to the core "_Dors Nox."_

He looked at me, and said "Just because we are sacrificing it, doesn't mean it has to suffer." The rabbit was in a lethargic state, with all his pain receptors numbed.

Deciding not to waste time, he cut the rabbit's chest open as I chanted the rest of the ritual. Taking a bit of blood, he went around to each corner of the flat, and as I finished chanting, the room glowed in a dark red light.

"_Ignosco Dolor._" The rabbit's corpse flashed a pure white light, and disappeared.

Harry's humanity still amazed me – he does not stray from the darker magics, but if it requires a sacrifice, the sacrifice will be painless, and once it is performed, the animal will die in the way it wishes. Harry even asks it for forgiveness!

Just then, a bright green flash emanated from my wrist. Harry looked shocked, so I explained – "I placed a tracking charm on Dumbledore when he was at your house today – don't worry, I'll explain. Just watch for now."

With both of us looking into the amulet, we could look at the order meeting that was called at that moment.

* * *

"I call this meeting today for an urgent happening that has occurred earlier today." 

Dumbledore's pompous manner could not be mistaken for anyone else – except maybe Fudge. Around the room, people's attitudes were all different. Remus had a satisfied smirk on his face, Moody had a disapproving look aimed toward Dumbledore, the elder Weasleys had sad looks, but Bill and Charlie had looks similar to the werewolf's. The twins were their old selves, and looked askance at their brothers. The professors from Hogwarts were all their usual masks – Snape looked evil, **McGonagall** looked like she agreed with Dumbledore, and the others looked confused.

"As some of you know, today, Harry Potter left his house at early morning, and has not been seen since. And some of you may consider me senile for this, but today I saw a new creature. When I was in Harry's house, I saw a dark-looking phoenix. It was the same size and shape as a normal phoenix, but it was black with red, and when I looked at it, it turned into a demon-like figure. It took some of Harry's things before I could look at them, and then flamed out.

I don't know what many of you think, and judging by the looks of disbelief I'm getting, not all of you take this as truth, but I believe this is solid evidence that Harry is turning dark."

As Dumbledore finished this sentence with a triumphant tone, the Weasley parents gasped, while everyone else looked at him as if he were insane.

A relatively new Order member, Blenheim Stalk, responded with what everyone was thinking – "But Harry Potter is the savior of light – why would he associate with demons? What if this is some joke played by Voldemort?"

Now Stalk, a wizened old wizard, who was an expert on muggles, was used to thinking as one. Especially looking at the world through a muggle perspective, he was amazed how circumstantial evidence was used in court – especially last year, at Harry's trial. Usually people looked at him as a wizard almost as crazy as Dumbledore, he was nevertheless an expert at his field.

* * *

At this Harry commented to me – "Stalk seems like he knows what he is talking about – what did he do?" 

"If you are going into politics, Harry, you need to learn people's names better – he is the author of _Muggles Who Notice, _and he is considered an expert on muggles."

Harry nodded, and we went back to watching the meeting.

* * *

During the few seconds we were gone, the Order meeting was divided among Harry-supporters and Dumbledore-supporters. 

Dumbledore, noticing the split over his statement, was quick to fix his statement.

"For those of you that are still in doubt, let's ask his friends. I invited them to this meeting because they approached me with their questions about Harry."

He pointed towards the corner, where a trio of students was coming out from under Harry's invisibility cloak. Hermione had an eager expression, and looked to be happy to testify against Harry. Ginny herself looked disgusted at this display, and looked like she was forced to be there. Ron was indescribable. He seemed to agree with Hermione, but there was something else there, as if he wanted to agree with his sister as well.

"Hermione here ran into Harry yesterday, during lunchtime. What was he like then?"

Hermione, eager to get revenge for Harry's attitude, responded – "Well, he was really different – he did not seem at all upset about Sirius' death, and he was rude to me! He had this arrogant attitude, that he was the one to kill Voldemort, and other junk like that. He then left me hanging, and didn't listen to me at all!"

During the performance, both I and Harry noticed Ron look at Dumbledore's eyes just as something sad passed along his eyes.

Dumbledore, eager to continue and get past the issue of the prophecy – Harry was glad he at least didn't reveal it – apparently he wanted to keep it as a trump card – asked Ginny to speak.

Ginny seemed hysterical - "Harry has NOT changed! He was perfectly nice to me in his letters, and he was grieving over Sirius' death – he just expresses it differently! He even…" At this, she cut off, and refused to speak even more.

Dumbledore looked shocked – she was getting letters under his nose? That couldn't be allowed.

"You have been conversing with Harry? How do we know you aren't under a spell?"

Ignoring her cries of "Harry would never do that," he said to Mrs. Weasley – "She is overwhelmed – lock her in her room until she listens to reason.

* * *

Seeing Ginny's look, Harry could see she was sincere. "We have to help her," he said. Seeing his face, I knew I couldn't decline, so I just made a joke of it. 

"We only have one bed, you know. Or are you counting on that?" I smirked at Harry's blushing.

"Yes, but we still have to…"

I cut him off, assuring him that we would, just after the meeting.

* * *

Seeing his sister carried away, Ron knew the side he would choose. Winking at the ceiling, he said "Harry has been distant with me as well. He always wanted to talk, but after Sirius' death, he was retreating into himself. He may be going dark, but I wouldn't know."

* * *

More surprised about the fact that he knew we were watching, Harry knew the message that Ron was sending – _I'm on your side, but I will pretend not to be._

I was still processing the information – Ron had an extremely rare talent, but I could not know what it was until I met him. Filing that away, I saw Harry's determined face.

"We are getting Ginny out of there. Now."

Not wanting to argue, I turned into my phoenix form. Seeing him writing a letter, I craned my neck to read it.

* * *

To Ginny: 

This phoenix is mine, I will explain later, but grab his tail and he will take you to me.

Love, Harry

* * *

I flamed to the Grimmauld Place room where Ginny was sitting, and was shocked at her look. She was in tears, but as she saw me, the sad look was replaced by a hopeful one. Reading the note, she grabbed my tail, and we both flamed to Harry. 

Enveloping her in a hug, Harry said – "Take your normal form, please?"

Seeing Ginny's confused face, I mentally sighed. He was going to reveal everything to her. I suppose it's a good idea, so he doesn't have to hold anything in, but she is an interesting case.

Morphing into my normal form, I had time to hear Ginny shriek "TOM," see him catch her in his arms, and then blackness took over me.

* * *

Review Responses:  
As usual, a bit on the short side. I love leaving people on cliffhangers, but don't kill me - killing me makes updates even rarer! 

**Treck**: Not yet, Harry probably won't be meeting with Dumbledore for a while.  
**Ranma Hibiki**: All of the above?  
**SilverAegis: **Vampires aren't true canon - they might come, they might not. Goblins, werewolves, etc. are true canon - I know a bit about how they work, so they will probably be in the spotlight.  
**lmill123**: Niamp is like Harry? You don't even know how much :D  
**CloudySky**: Voldemort's reaction will be quite different than what you are expecting :)

Everyone else, thank you for reviewing, and don't kill me for my schedule!


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: **Well, it's another short one, but at least it's fast! **  
**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 5**

I guess now would be a good time to tell you what I know about myself. My first conscious memory is, in fact, the scene at the manor. However, I keep getting flashes – whether from a past life, or from another's mind, I cannot tell. Everything about them seems to relate to Voldemort's past life, but how they relate I also can't tell.

I _know_ that I am a demonic being. I have demon blood in me, and I know that as surely as anyone would know they are human. I know about hell, and though I've never consciously been there, it's as if the knowledge was there all along. I have the power to phase, which is curiously unlike wizard's apparition. They will their magic to take them to a different place, while I… I just tell myself to be there, I guess. There are many things I still don't know about this world, but I also have the ability to imitate what the Wizards do.

I know I'm not human, so I was surprised when I found myself laying on my back. I do not normally sleep, and the last thing I remember was transforming from my Phoenix form, and then everything went black.

I groaned, opening my eyes. Seeing Harry's flat around me, I relaxed. Sitting up, I noticed that Harry was on the floor, tending to a form on the ground. I could tell that it was Ginny, and for some reason, I could tell that she was panicked. Although being near Harry relaxed her immensely, I could still sense that something was off.

Attempting to look into her mind, I was shocked at how easy it was. Most people had even the most rudimentary defenses, but she… she had absolutely nothing stopping my intrusion. Taking advantage of that, I sent a quick calming thought to her, and she seemed to calm down. Harry noticed, and turned around.

Seeing me awake, he sent me an accusing glance.

**"Remember the mind thrust I taught you? Use it on Ginny. Trust me on this, I need to make sure of something.**"

Harry looked confused for a second, but then he quickly responded.

"**What's wrong? It's just like a normal person, all her blocks are there."**

I should explain something about my magic, which Harry seemed to have easily picked up. Every human has a latent energy, which protects him against different things. Even muggles have this energy to some extent – the energy protects against basic influence, such as my thrust, and can also heal minor injuries, such as bruises or cuts. When Harry was learning the thrust, I told him that it could be used on anyone, unlike Legillimency. However, anyone's mental energy would repel it, so a person must be ready for the thrust if they wanted to allow a person access. Harry learned how to use it, and that's how we talked. However, when I tried to send Ginny a feeling of calm, she had no defenses.

If Harry felt her blocks, that means there is something wrong with us. If we can reach each other, then that means there must be some sort of link. Realization dawned on me – I checked for the presence of any links, and sure it was – a blood red stream of power, dangling between us. I was about to cancel it, when I was interrupted by a yell from Ginny, who just woke up.

"Harry, stay away from him! He's Riddle, I know it, the bond is there!"

Obviously taken aback, Harry looked at me accusingly. I looked at Ginny.

"I'm not Voldemort, I am not Riddle, and I am telling the truth."

Ginny looked confused for a moment.

"He's telling the truth, I can feel it, but why else would there be the bond?"

Poor Harry was totally confused at this point, and I can't blame him.

"I feel the bond, and I can cancel it, if it would make you feel better. But I don't know what this bond means. When you first saw me, I felt your fear, and I fainted just as you did."

"But would that not mean that you are Riddle?"

"Voldemort completely changed his blood and identity when he cast that rebirth ritual. He is no longer related to any Riddle."

Ginny still seemed to doubt me at that point, and I was still doubting myself. How did I know I was not Riddle? I said myself that the ritual failed – and Voldemort was not made more powerful. Maybe the ritual did not fail, but Voldemort understood it wrongly? If the ritual was supposed to create a clone, or an opposite of a person? This type of thinking really won't take me far. I need to find the ritual myself, to answer my questions.

"And although I was created by Voldemort" – Here I got a gasp from Ginny – "I am not under his control, and I swear I will do all it takes to have Harry defeat him."

Ginny took my last statement as fact, and although she kept doubting me, she dropped the topic.

Harry took the moment to ask about another thing that was interesting to him.

"What about Ron, what happened to him? I know he knew that I was watching the order meeting – he doesn't seem as dense anymore, as if he knew what was happening, and he doesn't seem to be jealous of me anymore."

"That one's easy – after my brother got attacked by the brains, he seemed to be this way. The doctor said that although his conscious was not affected by the attack, he seemed to have developed some latent abilities. His main one, that still freaks me out, is his empathic ability. He always knows how everyone feels these days."

Aha, that would do it. I knew he had some sort of gift, but Empathic ability? That is rare to this day.

"He can also see magic somehow – not a very strong gift, but he can tell if a spell is being cast in an area, and can sometimes tell who the caster is. He's still a pretty weak wizard, but he is much better at reading people."

"That's interesting; I'll have to thank him for this. Now that he's no longer the jealous prat he was, he should be able to help me."

Now, noticing the glint in Ginny's eyes, I quickly decided to leave the room. I knew Harry was probably going to mess it up somehow, but Ginny seemed very determined – I doubt she would even give him a chance to speak…

As I was leaving, I heard Ginny's comment – "Less about my brother, and more about me." Chuckling, I closed the door behind me.

* * *

Going through Flourish and Blotts, I was dismayed as to see that none of the tomes about rituals had any knowledge of what Voldemort used. Even trying my hand at Knockturn alley didn't seem to give any results – although most of the shopkeepers were deathly afraid of me, they did not know of any books about rituals. Voldemort must have combed it all. I did find one interesting book – "_Black Rituals; Selling your soul to the devil," _but looking at the author – one J. Faust – I knew that it was all a fake. Faust was a crazy writer that wrote between the worlds – one of his books spawned a legend in the muggle culture.

Continuing on my search, I saw nothing that could have helped me. However, on the last shop, the apothecary, I saw them advertising a genealogy potion. It was commonly used to determine identity. Buying it, I quickly took out a sheet of parchment and applied the potion as stated.

As the potion dried, the ink formed into letters. To say I was shocked was the least – the letters formed "Tom Marvolo Riddle." So I really was what was left of the blood of the Riddles. The ritual must have done what Voldemort wanted – to make him inhuman – purge the last of the human blood from him.

As I kept staring at the parchment, I slowly grinned. If this meant what I thought it meant, that means I could give a heart attack to Dumbledore – what would he think if he saw the ministry appointed _Voldemort_ to the Defense Against the Dark Arts class?

Knowing I had to play this joke, I went home – noticing the door to where Harry and Ginny were located was still locked – and started drafting a letter.

* * *

To Minister Fudge:

I know that you are having trouble locating a wizard to fill the Defense Against the Dark Arts position at Hogwarts. I also know that Dumbledore is having the same problem. To your benefit, I have attached a resume, and if you appoint me to the position, you will not have the negative publicity of your Undersecretary from last year. If you refuse, let's just say a certain blood artifact's existence will come to light.

Sincerely,

Tom Marvolo Riddle, Heir of Slytherin

* * *

As I placed a wax imprint of the Slytherin crest onto the letter, put the letter aside to show Harry before sending. Dumbledore's face when he sees the appointment should be priceless, and I will have good reason to stay at Hogwarts with Harry now.

Speaking of which, the happy couple has just left their room. Harry seemed giddy, and Ginny just had a satisfied smirk on her face.

"So should I extend my congratulations?" I asked innocently.

Ah, young couples – it's always fun making them blush.

As the two were trying to come up with a response, I quickly filled them in on what happened.

"So that ritual means you have the right of blood to all that Riddle owned?" Ginny asked.

"Forget what he owned, he has the right to the things that belong to him through his mother! Voldemort had no idea that his 'Weak Mother' was really the last Heir of Slytherin!" Harry exclaimed, excited about the idea.

"Yes, and I'm forcing Fudge to appoint me DADA professor, too. Can you imagine Dumbledore's face?"

Both Harry and Ginny got identical smirks.

"So, do you have an entrance planned?" Ginny asked.

"If not, you can always ask her brothers, the twins." Harry suggested.

"Ah, don't worry, I have it planned out. And Harry, both of you can see Dumbledore's reaction – the tracking crystal is still on him.

* * *

**July 30th**

Dumbledore frowned as he saw an owl coming from the Ministry. He was thinking that Fudge was asking him for help, again? As he read the letter, he started paling. As he finished the last line, he dropped the letter, and called an Order meeting.

* * *

"Order, I have bad news." Dumbledore began. "I know some of you may not agree with everything I say, but this is definitely something worth listening to. Fudge, being the stubborn fool he is, has made another appointment to the DADA position."

"I hope it's not Umbridge again!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed!

"No, this is much worse. Some of you may not know, but Voldemort, before he rose to power, was named Tom Marvolo Riddle. And this year, teaching DADA, will be a Tom Marvolo Riddle. It is too much of a coincidence to risk, because the name was confirmed through a genealogy potion."

Everyone in the room had different degrees of shock on their face. Voldemort, teaching at Hogwarts? The idea was preposterous.

"I have taken the liberty of installing a few dark detectors in the great hall, which will detect Voldemort in any disguise. If it is really him, we must be prepared.

With that, they started making plans for guards in the great hall, and how to protect against the threat.

* * *

After that performance, we were all laughing our heads off. The whole performance was great, and the Order's self- confidence was hilarious. To have a few members stop Voldemort himself in the Great Hall?

I then asked Harry – "Tommorow is your birthday, did you want to do something?"

Harry and Ginny both got mischievous looks at this – "I want you to teach us how to change forms!" Harry declared.

I knew it would be something like that.

"Well then, I guess we will start the lesson tomorrow – you two lovebirds need your rest."

They both blushed crimson at this.

* * *

The next morning, I decided to give Harry his present. "The lesson starts now."

Both of them were ready to learn – and I don't blame them.

"Changing into a different form usually takes years of practice, and even so, it can take a form that you do not want. The demonic equivalent to that is just as easy as phasing. You two mastered that, correct?"

At their nods, I continued.

"The easy way to change forms is to first focus on the form – remember its size, its abilities, and its colors. After you have a clear mental image of the form you are changing into, just phase into the form. It should be as easy as that."

By the time I finished, I was looking at two black and red phoenixes, similar to mine. One of them had deep emerald eyes, and the other had brown eyes.

"Good job, you two. Now change back."

At their successful transformation, I took them to the nearest Owl office, to pick up Harry's mail. It was one of Harry's smarter ideas, to have all of his mail rerouted.

Getting a few packages from his friends, Harry went back home to open them, while I went to research on the old pureblood laws. I wanted to know exactly what being the Heir of Slytherin entailed, and to find out the other heirs of the Founders.

I found a few interesting bits, but the majority of the laws were obsolete. I knew I was guaranteed a place on the Wizengamot, however, and both I and anyone I chose had the ability to declare an immediate family. That family would be exempt from any ministry law.

I whistled to myself – such power, given to one person? It's enough to corrupt almost anyone...

* * *

**A/N:** Well, this is a short chapter before I leave for vacation. If anyone wants to talk to me, prod me to write, or stuff like that, please AIM me at andreik719 - it's been a boring summer. 

**Review Responses:**

Dumbledore: What exactly do you mean by the background? Most of the background is from the canon books.

Jarno: In my story, Hermione sees Dumbledore as a figure of authority, mainly because nothing has happened to her. In first year, she went to him for help. In second year, she was petrified, but she did not actually get harmed. In third year, because of an allowance by Dumbledore, she managed to save an innocent man. In fourth year, she did not get in harm's way at all. After the fiasco at the Ministry, she actually had to be treated for the injury by the spell fire. Would that not make you start wondering whether your friend is really right? She is acting in his best interest, or so she thinks. And Ron, I hope I explained in this. I don't think any author actually had Ron be the more rational one, and give him extra powers.

Magic 8: Heh.

And everyone else, thanks for the reviews, and keep reading :)


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

A few weeks later, Harry finally asked the question of why the Demonic magic was so easy to learn. His logic was that if he and Ginny learned it so easily, why wasn't it in any books?

"Well, you two have something no other person has."

Realization dawned on his face.

"We are connected to you, through what used to be a link to Voldemort?"

"Yes."

Strangely, both of them took it in stride. None of them found it strange being connected to me.

Being reminded of Voldemort again forced me to think. What would happen if he was killed? Would I remain, or would I vanish? If I were gone, would Harry's demonic powers linger?

Shaking my head of the somber thoughts, I decided to just wait and see what happens.

* * *

Most of the rest of August passed quickly. Harry seemed to enjoy his independence, and did lots of things on his own. I mainly stayed back, reading about the different rituals, and hoping to have a clue, any clue of what I could represent.

Through the different books, I came to understand myself a bit better. I was a not a true demon – I was created through the ritual. I was basically a demonic essence of everything that was good about Voldemort. He could no longer be called Tom; his ritual did in fact succeed. All the facts clicked together. I was what he could have been. If he had chosen to stay good.

I decided to plan for the inevitable. I knew, that if Voldemort died, I would not last long. I didn't know if it applied to the reverse, but it wasn't a guarantee. Teaching Harry the last bits of Voldemort's knowledge, he could be considered a true master now.

I started to wonder if anything was ever going to happen when my tracking crystal started pulsing – Dumbledore was calling an Order meeting.

* * *

"Many of you have been waiting for this," Dumbledore began. "This is it. Voldemort decided to attack Diagon Alley. He has brought all his troops. Some of you may not survive today, but if we win, we can stop Voldemort for good!"

Cheers rose up, but a man in the back questioned him.

"What if we see Harry?"

"If you see Harry, stun on sight. We may bring him back to the light, but we can't let him sink further."

* * *

Looking up and seeing Harry's determination, I sighed. This really was the final battle. Anything that would be done would be done for keeps. Seeing Harry wearing his battle gear, I had a change of feeling. Who cares if this is my last day on Earth? Let's make Voldemort pay!

* * *

Diagon Alley was a scene of mass carnage. There were bodies everywhere, of both sides. Masked and unmasked figures lay identically on the ground. The fools. They thought that following one side would save them from the end.

Harry looked at this and frowned. Ginny by his side, they made their way farther down the street.

Following their path, I shuddered as I saw a towering black monolith. This was erected in the matter of minutes? Voldemort's powers, undiluted by his prior inhibitions, were finally showing his true nature.

I saw Harry make up his mind and enter the tower. He would need his luck if he was going to survive. Searching Tom's memories, this seemed to remind me of those muggle video games that were talked about at his orphanage. He never got to play, but he spent hours staring as those bigger than him wasted their lives away with them.

My next thought was that Voldemort could not have picked a more clichéd place for a battle. He knew about the prophecy – he knew that Harry was going to fight him.

* * *

As we approached the base of the tower, my attentions were drawn to a battered old figure lying on the floor. Typical – at his last breaths, Dumbledore looked like the wise old sage, telling his student to fight on despite everything.

"My child, I beg of you…"

I couldn't have thought of a more clichéd line. That's why I laughed when Harry walked right past him.

And I have no idea why he wore his blue starred robes to a battle.

* * *

I cheered up immensely when we came to the next sight. Near-unrecognizable, Fudge was smeared along the ground. It was obvious he was called before Voldemort, but he was no longer necessary. Thrown from the highest tower, he was as useful in death as he was in life – not at all.

It was irony, I guess, that he achieved such great heights before his fall.

* * *

I vividly remember entering the darkness of the tower. As was expected, there was a spiral ladder to one of the sides. However, when we emerged in the entrance, we were ambushed by the rank and file death eaters. Harry needn't have bothered getting out his wand.

I recall casting a demonic spell. Seeing a reflection of myself in the wall, I noticed as my eyes flashed bright white, and the Death Eaters collapsed, dead. I decided to call that spell _Pain_, as it was obvious it was not an easy death.

* * *

Ascending the tower, Harry noticed that it was strangely quiet. As we entered the next room, I was unprepared for the sight that was in front of us.

A huge group of people lay, forever entombed in this room, doomed to see nothing, hear nothing, live nothing, never getting a respite – to hell or to heaven, they would never go. Around them floated dark shapes – dementors. The shapes seemed to converge on us, and I could see Harry collapsing. Interestingly enough, it was Ginny who saved the day. Calling on her Patronus, a silvery snake came out of her wand, and impaled the dementors.

Banishing them, I helped Ginny revive Harry, and we continued on our way.

* * *

As we entered the final room, both Harry and Ginny were panting heavily. The ascent of a hundred flights of stairs was no easy feat, even after all their exercise.

Looking towards the dark throne, I saw Voldemort. I shuddered as I realized that I would be no use against him.

"So Harry, did you enjoy what was below? I'm sure you found the sight… educational." Voldemort taunted.

Harry, to my grudging admittance, didn't flinch at all. He stood his ground, and responded in kind.

"Well, now that you know the prophecy, I guess we know what's going to happen."

"You mean a duel to the death? I'm immortal now, and I can't hurt you as long as your … companion is here."

"So what do I do, play chess against you?"

"Well, as I am your death, I suppose I should give you the right…"

His further words were cut off when a green light flashed from behind. Ginny had somehow gotten behind him and blasted him.

Harry managed to exclaim "THE PROPHECY, NO!" before the bright green light consumed Voldemort.

* * *

After the light subsided, Voldemort was completely transformed. Instead of being a man with some features of a snake, he was no longer a man. He was still a human in appearance, but the dark wings behind him made him out to be a true demon.

He pointed his finger at Ginny, emitting a bright green light, but before the light could hit her, Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix, burst into flames in its path. He fell as ashes down on the ground, but no young phoenix was reborn… Voldemort has killed a phoenix, the last hope was destroyed.

With a defeated sigh, I turned to look at Harry. I was shocked to note he had a wand pointed at me, but although I expected fear, or resignment in his look, I saw a look of pure sorrow.

With the wand still pointed at me, he whispered "_Avada Kedavra._"

**FIN.**

* * *

A/N: The author just grins.

Final A/N: Expect another story from me post-HBP. AIM me with any arguments or flames. Please leave a review telling me you hated it, or if you actually enjoyed my clichéd, but original ending ;-). And also, writing a demon's POV is FUN!


	8. Epilogue

A/N: I suppose there was interesting speculation surrounding the ending. This should explain it for some of you. And I wanted to finish it before HBP, but this should be an interesting interpretation.

_Avada Kedavra._

**Epilogue:**

The curse was creeping ahead at a pace no greater than a snail, and as even muggles tend to notice, the final moments of one's life are always painted as being agonizingly slow. I could not fathom the last action, but if anything will work, this will.

Resigning myself to my fate, I spend some time reviewing the facts that I know of my half-life.

I am Tom Riddle. Check. I have learned that and accepted it, although I am no more to blame for my double's actions than a son for his father's. Although some might argue that point, I suppose.

I was summoned as a ritual of splitting one's soul. I know that, although it is the darkest of magics. I suppose I know everything Voldemort did before the ritual, but I can't believe he would attempt splitting his soul by sacrificing himself. It is an interesting effect, I suppose. Splitting his soul requires a sacrifice, but sacrificing himself creates a time paradox – if the ritual worked, the sacrifice succeeds, hence the owner is invincible, and hence he can't sacrifice himself.

Thinking about this gives me headaches.

People can normally perform miraculous feats when they are either close to death, or when their loved ones are close to death. I _saw_ the look Harry had before sending the curse. At first I thought it was because he did not wish to kill me, but I knew that it was because he knew that no matter what the final outcome, there would still be a change.

A change for the better, perhaps.

A change for the worse, more probably.

The curse slowly inches forward, but I cannot allow it to hit. Even if it gets rid of me Voldemort will be able to linger, I understand that now. If a father is killed, his son might be prosecuted, but he will not just fall over and die because of it.

The curse approaches slowly. Threads of magic intertwined to create a fatal combination. I separate the threads, feeling the magic of life unraveling, unmasking a sudden coldness in the air.

Death.

The domain of Death is a cold place, almost identical to the current world, but if you feel, feel with your own soul, you can tell the decay of magic in any area.

Voldemort's power was so great, he erected a building of Death in the mortal world. The tower he created was a bastion, a fortress, but it was located in Death's domain. The fact that it was visible in the mortal world was a tribute to his power.

The remains of the curse, the threads that separate life from death, no longer have a single target, but in the atmosphere permeating the tower, they have no problem continuing to exist. The threads pool around all of us, encompassing us all in the green glow of death – it is fitting, I suppose, that the curse that started it all will also change reality, as we know it.

As soon as the threads start to dissipate, all three of us feel as if we were dragged completely into the plane of death. Voldemort looks on, interestedly, but he was already living in this plane after his ascension.

"So, Harry Potter, was this your plan? To bring you all into the domain where I feel the most comfortable? What did you hope to accomplish by this?"

Just then, I notice that the darkness seems to be solidifying in parts. It is forming a figure, and although the figure has no shape, no size, no form, it seems to have consciousness.

Black.

I could swear I had seen it before. I know that the darkness is a strange thing, but there is something about this darkness. The humans have a term for Hell, and it would be strangely fitting here. There are no imps torturing souls here, and there are no souls to be seen, period. But it has the atmosphere of pain, suffering, and most of all, hate.

What did Harry do this for? Why take his opponent into the place where he is strongest?

I hope he has more sense of what he is doing than I do.

"Voldemort, have you ever heard of the custom of giving a last wish?" Harry's cutting voice speaks out without a hint of fear in the face of certain death.

"You accept defeat this fast? I will grant you this final wish, if you in return tell me what you had hoped to accomplish by doing this. I know your move was not meant to bring you all here, so name your wish."

"I wish to have a final duel, one on one. As if we were back in the graveyard, pit our wands against each other in this place where the laws of magic can be broken. Please, I wish to have a chance…"

"Very well. You know you cannot defeat me, as this body is no longer mortal. I am a god, and there is nothing you can do to defeat me."

"We'll see," said Harry assuming a dueling position.

I couldn't help but notice the glint in his eyes. He was half-mad, I could tell. Taking a chance, I looked into my double's eyes. They were calm, collected, no trace of the madness that was the old Voldemort.

At the same time, Voldemort and Harry bowed to each other. To Harry it was a bow to change fate, and a bow to give respect to the one who has all but beaten him. To Voldemort it was a bow of respect to the one who would not give, never cowering before him.

"I love you, Ginny," Harry spoke, as he launched his final curse. He did not even bother giving an incantation, but the pure white light that emerged spoke for itself. It seemed to be threaded, creating an appearance of a solid beam created of a merging of smaller streams.

"Goodbye." Voldemort's reply was almost admiring of his enemy's final attempt. Both beings have progressed beyond the need for incantations, and Voldemort's wand emitted a pure black beam. It was composed of smaller streams as well, and was exactly the same size as Harry's.

Equality. The prophecy said that the two would be equal, and this is what it comes down to, a struggle of the minds.

Every single thread had a match. The threads were completely matched, and it was a beautiful sight, as streams of living light and living darkness intertwined in the depths of Hell. The black and white did not blend into gray; they stayed distinct as the two beams fought each other.

Harry was perfectly calm and stoic, pushing with all of his might. He remembered his parents, Sirius, the recent deaths, and all those who died for the light. Straightening, he kept pushing.

The beam was steady, not budging an inch.

Voldemort was feeling a bit of amusement at the situation – a mortal wished to have a struggle of minds with him, a god? He thought of all those who have tried before, and feeling an exhilaration at the power he commanded over life and death. He kept pushing.

The beam continued to be steady, not willing to be cowed.

While the beams were connected and not moving, there were other effects of the connection. A dome formed around the four entities involved, and a wind picked up. The ashes of Fawkes were picked up, formed the ghost of the noble phoenix, and forcefully separated one of the pairs of beams. Having nowhere else to go, the white beam struck Ginny's heart, and I saw the black beam strike my chest, but I could feel nothing.

Images started flashing through my head, and I can only assume that the same thing was happening to the rest.

James and Lily Potter, sitting together in a white, cloudy, house.

Peter Pettigrew, burning inside the confines of what he believes is his hell.

Sirius Black, sitting inside a featureless gray void.

Bellatrix Lestrange, torturing a white rabbit to insanity.

Remus Lupin, cuddling a small brown wolf cub.

Lucius Malfoy, standing in front of his extended family, being proclaimed lord.

Arthur Weasley, Flying among the clouds in a muggle Airplane.

Images of Hell. Images of Heaven. Images of the souls of the dead, being forced to exist through what their minds felt they deserved. The images went on, getting faster and more chaotic as they started reaching a climax.

A Greek woman, crossing the River Styx.

A Christian man, standing at the Pearly Gates.

A Jewish man, being crucified at a cross.

Everyone who has ever lived. Everyone who has ever died. Everyone born, everyone who was denied that privilege, and everyone who will be born in the future.

The power of Heaven, the creation of life, which is sacred to some, but just is, whether needed or not.

The power of Hell, the end of life, not Evil, not Dark, but helping advance the earth. The old give way to the young, such is the way of things.

Harry smiled triumphantly, and then focusing, he finished the incantation. He allowed the two to meet.

With no sound whatsoever, the plane of Heaven and the plane of Hell joined together, and the point at which they joined was the mortal plane.

**Fin.**

Final Author's Note: Well, it has been a few months since I last updated, so I was struck with the inspiration to finish this story. Of course, it stood fine by itself, but this way, it seems like I tied up a few loose ends. I tried to keep the poetic ending, but don't expect me to clarify it. I might write a sequel, but it would be completely different, and I might write a different story if there is enough demand.

This was written in 3 hours, and was not overly edited.

Feel free to discuss this in the forums.


End file.
